Notary News

We’ve gone over some hinky signings in the past, like the fiasco in Texas.  But, what about another type that seems like you are doing good for the public.

Is is worth notarizing documents for political campaigns or movements?

Always Protect Yourself

This is the most important thing we must do with our business. We have to protect ourselves and our business, so we can continue to earn income and grow into the future.

And the easiest way to do that is to stay away from controversial signings.  Anything that involves politics is included in that.

Let’s take a look at a recent case.  Organizers in Missouri are trying to get an initiative on the ballot for this November’s elections.  The law says the person circulating the petition must oversee every signature, and then have a notary sign off on each page.

But, what happens when that circulator/organizer breaks the rules?  And what kind of legal liability does that open you up to?

I am going to link to an article that does not mention the notary’s name, so please take a look at what can go wrong with political signings.

Keep Politics Off Your Social Media

How many people are making posts or tweets that come back to bite them, even years later?

The truth is more and more people are starting to check out who they are doing business with.  It’s not just celebrities or politicians, it is spreading to average Americans, and while concerning, it is completely legal.

And when they find someone whose viewpoints they don’t like?

Realize you don’t just represent yourself online, you represent your business.  And it is best done by attracting the widest audience, while providing excellent customer service and on time jobs.

Your Business Most Likely Cannot Withstand a Lawsuit

Do you think your small business can survive a lawsuit against a large political organization, or a state’s attorney general’s office?

We are not even talking right or wrong here, we are talking about the costs themselves of having to defend the business.  It does not matter if you are right, if you don’t have the resources to see it though.  It is a sad, but true, reality.

The overwhelming actuality for the vast majority of mobile notaries, is that a big lawsuit will force the company into bankruptcy.  So this needs to be taken into account before you accept certain signings.

Remember, the business always comes first.

Even if you are the only person who works for that business, you have still created something larger than yourself.  And that is something you should be proud of and eager to defend.

Is it Really Worth Notarizing for Political Related Signings?

This answer may differ between notaries, and it may even differ between jobs.

This is a question you really need to think about.

For some, the risk versus the reward just does not make sense. But, there are also notaries who believe in causes.  But, you cannot let your personal feelings for a cause to become more important than the business.  Remember, the business comes first. Always.

So, if you do accept a political related signing, make sure that you can verify the providence of all of the information you sign off on.  And maybe consult a lawyer or your state’s Department of Commerce about the laws the client has to meet to make the document you are notarizing legal.

And if you have any questions about what you are about to sign, don’t touch it with a ten foot pole.

Here is another great article about whether or not notaries should be involved with our election process.

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We all love the WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) aspects of some parts of the internet and apps. But, what about when you don’t get what you expect?  What about when what you click on is the old Trojan Horse?

Last month we talked about phishing and how it can affect your business.  Today we are going to talk about another devious method of infecting your computer, one that might even turn your computing device into a bot (and not the cool type like R2D2). And that negatively affects your business.

Quite a few years ago now, when someone “hacked your pc” it usually meant the computer ran like crud, if at all, as the intention was to screw with you.  But, current malware designers are smarter. They hide in plain sight.  The truth is, that nowadays, most people have malware and do not even know it.  Even anti virus software is estimated to miss up to 70% of malware infections.

Scammers Love to Advertise

According to reputable sources, between one third and one half of all malware is now delivered through online advertisements.

What!!!!

The worst part is, they aren’t always at the place where the ad goes, they are just as likely to be embedded in the ad.

You see, some wise hacker found out how to embed malicious code into some images, which, fortunately, has been mostly dealt with.  But, too often ads are accompanied by scripts.  And those scripts can have a lot of things in them, some good and some bad.  And because many advertising networks let companies use scripts to either serve or accompany the advertisement, it opens up the door for the script writer to do some of the bad things.

If you look at online advertising companies, they will tell you they do not allow these things.  But, their systems are mostly automated, with minimal human intervention.  Heck, the hacker might even run some clean ads first, and then sneak in some dodgy ones once the company trusts them.  This has gone beyond simple ads, as even some more reputable websites have tried it in recent months, as well as app developers.

So What Do They Do?

There are still some older style malware that take your contact list, put on a keylogger to grab passwords, and many of the other things that hackers have always done.

But, the biggest aim in 2018 is to turn your computer into a bot, or a zombie.  A zombie is a bot that is asleep most of the time, and only turns on when needed.  It makes this type of bot harder to find.

The biggest thing for bots to do lately is to mine bitcoins and other cryptocurrencies.  They use your computer, and thousands of others to make a giant bitcoin farm.  And your computer (or phone) constantly works for them, wasting power on your end, and making the malware maker money.  Unfortunately, even some businesses you would consider reputable have joined the game.  Fortunately, most of them were outed earlier this year and have ceased the practice. (We have decided not to grow the angry mob here, as the companies have been confirmed to have fixed the issue)

If they are not mining bitcoin, they are usually waiting for instructions on what to do.  When you hear about websites being taken down by attacks like DOS or DDOS (distributed denial of service), these are usually done with bots.  Your computer sits silently until the time comes.  And when it gets its instructions, it and thousands of others get to work, attacking the target.

And when they are done, they go back into hiding.

These are just a couple of examples of what these types of attacks do.

What do These Ads Look Like?

The bad ads are mainly images, though it can be text ads in some cases.  Many stick out, and should be avoided.  So let’s take a look at some of the categories of ads we probably don’t want to get anywhere near.

• Any adult advertisement
• Any ad that sells anti virus
• Any ad that tells you your computer is infected (sometimes they do a good job of making these look like they came from your computer)
• Any ad that tells you they can extend the battery life of your laptop, phone
• Any ad that says you have won something
• Any other ad that you find it hard to take at face value

If you really want one of the things in these ads, go find them directly.  An even better idea is to keep them from your computer all together.

How Do I Keep Them Away?

As more and more ads invade the internet, ad blockers for your web browser have become more and more popular.  They make the web a nicer place to look at and keep a lot of potentially malicious code at bay.

This has become a controversy recently, with some sites blocking access to people with ad blockers.  It usually does not last long, as the site’s traffic takes a nose dive, then the value of the ads for those who do see them lessens.  But, the nice thing with the ad blockers, is if you have a site you like and trust, you can click a button and allow that site to show you ads.

A couple of ways people keep ads off their computers:

• NoScript – Very effective, this blocks all scripts from sites, and will break a lot of sites.  Do not use this unless you really know what you are doing.
• Ad Block Plus – The most popular ad blocker, it blocks most ads.  It does allow some ads from trusted sources, which you can turn off if you like.
• Ublock Origin – Goes a little further than Ad Block Plus, and blocks a lot of additional known tracking cookies and scripts.

I gave you websites for these, but you would actually download them from the extensions area inside of your browser.  The add-ons above are only some options, you have other things like Ghostery and the EFF Privacy Badger that also help in this regard.

Stay Safe Out There

Today we took another small look at securing your notary business.  Again, it is nothing too hard, just using some common sense with what you click.

View every ad with a bit of skepticism.  Don’t let an ad scare you into a rash decision.  Don’t go near ads that sell skeevy stuff.  And if you want to go a step further, use browser tools to help you protect your privacy and security while online.

Because if you are going to mine bitcoin, better to do it for yourself than for somebody else.

Don’t Miss the Rest of the Series:

• Phishing – Securing Your Business Part 1

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Phishing has been in the news again lately and phishing is bad for business.

But, what is phishing and how does it affect the mobile notary, their business, their business partners, even their personal lives, families and friends?  This is so very important because it can affect those who do business with you, and can lead to a messy situation.

Phishing is when a scammer uses fraudulent emails or texts, or copycat websites to get you to share valuable personal information – such as account numbers, Social Security numbers, or your login IDs and passwords. Scammers use your information to steal your money or your identity or both.

– – Federal Trade Commission

So What Does Phishing Look Like?

When done well, phishing looks just like any other email or text.  That is where they get you.

But, reputable institutions will never contact you and ask for personal information.  Let’s say that again. Reputable institutions will never contact you and ask for personal information.

The thing is, the email may appear to come from your bank, someone else you do business with, a friend or even a family member.  This is called “spoofing” and we’ll try to look more at that a bit later.  If you are a big time techie, you can spot these from a mile away, but the plain fact is most people cannot.

Don’t even be surprised if the email contains the company logo or even uses the exact same email template.  The phishers have gotten very good at this over the years.

One of the earliest rules of the internet is to not click on links you know nothing about.  When you run a business, that is very difficult, but it is something you need to keep in mind when you look at every email.

Onto the Fake Website

I’m going to use example.com, as an example.  Let’s make it simple and just say they are a bank.

One of the most popular ways phishers are successful is by sending you an email telling you that you need to reset your password.  You then click on a link, but that link does not bring you to example.com.  So when you reset the password, you are actually giving the phisher your password to example.com.  Then they transfer all the money overseas and you know how the rest goes.

So, how do they do it?

Look at the url of the page you are on.  Are you on example.com or exxample.com?  Maybe there is a foreign character in there that should not be?

Well, the good part is you should not have to worry about that.  If you get an email from example.com, don’t click the link.  Just use your browser and go to example.com.  Then you know you are in the right spot.  And if they don’t ask you to update your password, then you know that someone just tried to phish you.

Phishing By Phone?

I would go a step further than our definition above says and say that phishing can be done by phone as well.

The process is the same.  They call you, pretend to be someone they are not, and ask for your user credentials or other Non Public Information.  They might even send you to a fake website to verify they are who they say they are (they aren’t).

Again, reputable institutions are not going to call you and ask for personal information.  You call them, never the other way around.

Should I Report Phishing?

I’ll admit, there is a lot of it, and it is hard to keep track of.  But, if the attempt came from my bank or another business partner, I would report it immediately.

Banks have had to beef up their anti-fraud departments.  And they take their job seriously.  So give them a call.  They may already know about it, or it is possible they could ask you to send them some technical information from the email.  If they do that, they will give you proper instructions.

If the email came from a business partner, let them know.  Most likely, their email contact list was hacked or stolen.  And that is why you got the email that appears to be from them.

But, the thing is, if you got it, so did everyone else on their contact list.  So do them a solid and let them know, so they can let others know that might not be as savvy as you.

You Said Something About My Family and Friends

Phishing is not just a business thing. If affects people and their personal lives as well.

Phishers don’t care if you are a person or a business.  They just want Non Public Information from you so they can steal your identity, steal your contact lists, steal your money, and just about anything they can do to drain your resources and get access to people around you.

And just who is in your personal contacts list?  Maybe your mom, brothers and sisters, cousins, friends, acquaintances and more.

You want to protect yourself personally the same way you protect your business.

Common Sense Measures to Take

The fact is, no system is perfect.  But there are some common sense rules you can make to drastically reduce the chances of you falling prey to a phisher.

1. Don’t click on links you do not expect or know.  If you are in question, look to number 2.
2. Take initiative.  Contact your partners directly.  Go directly to their website, instead of using the link.  Call them if needed.
3. Never give anyone Non Public Information unless you are 100% sure you are giving the correct person that information.

I hope this helped clear up what phishing is and some common sense things you can do to prevent it.  The easiest way is to bypass the links, or the phone call, and initiate contact directly.

That way you know who you are dealing with.

Continued Reading:

Part 2: What you click is not what you see.

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• What You Click is Not What You See – Securing Your Business Part 2

Becoming a mobile notary can be an awesome experience for the right person, no doubt about it.

The hard part for many, if not most of us, is that fact we are running our own business.  And, I think a lot of us find out, that it is tougher than expected, because a lot of us simply don’t know what to do?

A Little Disclaimer

We just want to make sure people know that laws and strategies vary wildly between states, and even some localities.  This article is not meant to be an end-all be-all to your studies, you will need to learn the laws you are beholden to, and in the right cases consult with the proper professionals, whether it be an attorney, accountant or other professional.

So What is in a Name?

When you are becoming a mobile notary you need to have a name for your business.  But, depending on how you structure your business, and where you do business, your requirements are different.

So when do I have to register the name?

If you are forming an LLC or Corp, you must do a search and file your name with the proper agency for your area.  Then you will follow the proper procedures to reserve the name for your blossoming business. This will most likely include additional paperwork that will have to be carefully prepared.  You can do it yourself, or a service; like some banks, registered agents, or attorneys can do it for you.

Even if you are a sole proprietor, some states require you to register your business name.  For example, the state of Florida has a website/service called Sunbiz that allows independent contractors and sole proprietors to register their business names.

When don’t I have to register the name?

When you operate in certain states as a sole proprietor you are not required to register your business name.  In these states, you get what is known as a DBA (or doing business as).  You actually do this through your bank in most places.  When you set up your business account, they will set up your DBA.

So, instead of your account being to “Sample Name” it is “Sample Name DBA (doing business as) My Awesome Mobile Notary Service. North Carolina would be a state where you can do business as a DBA.

Again, check the rules for your area.  There are a lot of small business help centers to get you through the process.

When I am Becoming a Mobile Notary do I Need a Trademark?

Probably not, unless you choose a name that is prominent or close to the name of a large corporate behemoth.

We did recently have a friend who was in business who had to change the business name for this reason.  But they were in the banking industry and their name was too close to some big fish.  A small business can’t afford a costly legal battle in that case, so even if you are in the right, you are still going to take the brunt of it.

Now, as our business gets bigger, we would more closely consider the trademark.  If we branch out into different areas, especially across state lines, we’ll need to start to actively protect our brand.  And that is the most important part of the trademark, the protection it gives you to protect the brand you’ve worked so hard to build.

What is a Registered Agent and Do I Need One?

For the most part, if you incorporate your business, you’ll need a registered agent.  What are they?

A registered agent is someone whom you designate to receive official papers for your business. These would include documents related to lawsuits, and also important communications from the state such as renewal notices for business registrations. – -NOLO

Simply put,a registered agent is someone who is guaranteed to be there during regular business hours (9-5) to accept paperwork for the business. Sole proprietors dodge the need for a registered agent for the most part, though I’d recommend checking your local area before you pass up on one.

You need a registered agent in each state where you are registered to do business. As a rule, this means any state in which you’ve registered a corporation, limited liability company (LLC), limited partnership, or limited liability partnership (LLP). – -NOLO

One note here, is that if you own a storefront that will always be manned during regular business hours you can act as your own registered agent. When becoming a mobile notary, that may not be possible, but if you are in a situation where you have a open storefront, it is an option for you.

Some registered agents do offer additional services.  I spoke with one of our notaries today who told me that her service also helps her with all of her LLC filings and makes sure all of her paperwork gets filed properly and on time.

Again, this is just a brief look at becoming a mobile notary, from the business side.  We in no way covered every area, these are just some of the early hurdles you might hit.

Continued Reading:

• How Much Do Mobile Notaries Make
• 5 Ways to Make More Money as a Mobile Notary
• Finding New Opportunities
• Low Tech vs. High Tech Marketing

And we’d like to remind you again, we just want to make sure people know that laws and strategies vary wildly between states, and even some localities.  This article is not meant to be an end-all be-all to your studies, you will need to learn the laws you are beholden to, and in the right cases consult with the proper professionals, whether it be an attorney, accountant or other professional.

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What does diversity have to do with income?

It should be noted, first, that we are talking about diversity in revenue streams that come into our business. But, why should we strive for diversity in revenue streams when trying to make money as a mobile notary?

The Answer is Simple

We have an idea on what a notary makes in the current market.  But, diversity of income helps you make more money with more consistency.

Read More

A lot of people looking to get into becoming a notary, are obviously interested in if the opportunity is right for them and their family.  And the biggest, and best question is: How much does a notary make?

It all starts there.

Does a Notary Make Enough Money?

Well, the first thing you must understand is that there are a lot of ways to be a notary. You are obviously looking for the most profitable way, so it is important to understand how the system works.

As an Employee

If you are an employee of a business, you may be required to become a notary and perform signings for the company, even if that is not your main responsibility.

For example, you may work for a company that notarizes a lot of documents in house and that is what you do.  Or, many bank managers are also required to be notaries to notarize documents for bank customers.  That practice seems to be fading a bit, but you can see that the main role of a bank manager is not to be a notary.

How much does a notary make as an employee?

In these roles, they get paid by their employer, and if there is a notary fee, the employer collects it.  Since it falls under part of their job responsibilities, the notary gets paid whatever the agreed amount between them and their employer is.

StoreFront Notaries

These are places you see that have notary signs in the window.  They can be a range of things like mail solutions places, tax offices or even convenience stores.

At Sunshine, we also do a storefront notary business.  Like most businesses that offer this service, we do it mainly to get more foot traffic in the office.  People we can easily serve, and at the same time are exposed to our brand and the other services we offer.

When you offer a service like this, for individuals looking to get documents notarized, the amounts that can be charged are heavily regulated by each state most states (updated due to a couple of changes to laws in specific states), and are usually not high enough to earn a consistent income.

How much does a notary make with a storefront?

This is best left for businesses that offer it as an additional service.  Depending on state law, the conditions to attempt it are more favorable than others in certain locations.  But, you would need a consistent line out the door in many states to make a good living being a storefront notary.  That is just not realistic in most cases. 

How Much Does a Notary Make by Going Mobile?

There is no easy answer to this question.

But, we will say, the potential to make a good living is much higher as a mobile notary.  The potential of this being a career instead of a side thing is real.  The chance to become your own boss and own your own business is tangible and achievable.

But, it is not easy.  Don’t let someone tell you that.  It will take a lot of hard work, and it will be rewarding when it pays off.

There are different kinds of signings that pay more than the ones above.  The most talked about are mortgages, as they tend to pay the most, but there are a lot of others.  At Sunshine, we do many types of signings outside of mortgages, even outside of real estate.  For a business, even a home one, diversity of income is consistency in income. Look at the wide variety Sunsine offers for both mobile and online notary services.

Businesses need these signings done on a strict time line and at specific places.  For these businesses it is more beneficial to have a notary go on site for them than to try and use an in house employee.  It is even becoming more popular for individuals, as the convenience is worth the cost for many.

What About Remote Online Notaries?

We don’t know if this is a question we can really answer yet, but our early numbers are saying they will pay less, as the fees per notarization are higher than for mobile notaries.

This ends up coming out of the clients’ or notaries’ budget, and who do you really think that will fall on?

But, the truth is we just don’t know yet.

• The potential number of signings might offset the higher cost per signing.
• The notary may be able to work hours they could not before.
• How is the business structured and invested?
• These are just the obvious factors, but there are many more.

But, How Much Does a Notary Make?

Let’s be realistic here.  A successful, established mobile notary has a mix of private clients and signing services.  A good diversity of income streams.

A signing through a signing service pays anywhere between $45 and $100.  Some signings may pay twice that if the notary acquires their own private clients.  We established in the past, that the small jobs end up paying about as much per hour as the larger number signings.

In the current market, as a realistic number, new notaries are making about $50 an hour, travel time included, before business expenses.  This is a conservative number, and more experienced notaries who have built their business make more than that.

This is heavily dependent on market conditions.  When real estate is booming and there are a lot of higher paying signings, the amount a notary can make increases.  And the opposite also holds true.  So, income potential is higher than the $50 an hour mentioned above, but I think it is reasonable to start with a more realistic outlook so you can plan your growth.

And if you are ahead of the curve, that is just icing on the cake.

But, a Business Has Costs

You must account for the fact that you most likely won’t be on the move eight hours a day.  Don’t fall for projections that have you doing 8-10 private signings every day.   While that is an awesome goal, it is not realistic.  Especially when you are building your business and learning to set yourself apart from the crowd.

First off, every business has administrative time.  It’s rarely fun, but it must be done.  You also have to account for marketing, which helps you earn more money.  Then you have to decide if you are going to do the online thing, and how much effort you are going to put in if you do.  All of this is time you are not signing.

Of course, you could do this after hours or have a spouse or someone else help, but that must be accounted for, and if you are going to pay that person, that must be accounted for.  This is still a great opportunity for spouses, as long as both spouses understand and agree to their responsibilities in the business.

Additional Costs

Don’t forget about general business expenses, state or local fees and taxes, the structure of your business and how that affects your personal and business taxes.  Costs of any services used and vehicular expenses (depending on how you calculate them for taxes).

So, How Much Does a Notary Make?

As we said before, there is not a set amount.  It depends on a lot of factors.  If a notary can gross $50 an hour or more, and can work 25 to 30 hours a week, then this is an opportunity that can work for many of us.

It can be a profitable and fulfilling venture for the right person.

A person who wants the personal freedom, who wants the challenge and who wants to take a more direct role in their career future.

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